The nights are drawing in. Winter is supposedly coming. In northern Lazio, an area famed for its chestnuts and hazelnuts, the sagre take on a distinctive nutty glow, while in other areas mushrooms of all shapes and sizes come to the fore. So, as the air turns chilly and the leaves crisp-up, here's my selection of sagre and feste around Lazio this October.

First up, here's a few Chestnut festivals...

Giornata della castagna, Canepina, Prov. di Viterbo

13-14th, 20-21st, and 28-29th October

In its 31st year, this festival, which runs on the last three weekends in October, acts as the cultural hub of the area, with a series of artistic, music, and cultural events spread around the town, all accompanied by free handouts of roasted chestnuts. The festival is opened on Friday 5th October by a 20 hour 'dinner of solidarity' with nearby Viterbo (called 'Viterbo with love'). The dinner costs 22euros and includes a taste of local dishes and is a great way to give back something to the town and pro loco association for all the free chestnuts. More information on the dinner, and the chance to go on a horse-riding trek around the woods of Canepina on Sunday 7th October, can be found on the Canepina pro loco website.

Sagra delle castagne, Soriano nel Cimino, Prov. di Viterbo

This is the big one. Over the first three weeks of October, Soriano nel Cimino really becomes the Chestnut capital of the world. Along with the inevitable roasted chestnuts, there's jam, sweets, sauces, AND historical reenactments. That's right, Soriano gets medieval about chestnuts! Don't just take my word for it, check out the video...

The streets and squares of the town are arranged according to ancient traditions, with processions of local people over 500 strong marching through the town in medieval and renaissance costumes (I'm not vouching for their historical accuracy here - they look authentic to my untrained eye). There's also a parade of horsemen and swordmen and flag-bearers and... well, you get the picture. It's a big thing. So big, in fact, that we've even given it its own blog post.

Hosted at the town hall, this sagra pays homage to the many mushrooms found in the fungi-filled forests around the small town of Bellegra, perched in the mountains to the west of Rome. Lunch or dinner at one of the many food stalls will cost €13 for a taster of bread and mushrooms, a plate of tacchie pasta with porcini mushrooms (tacchie is an old traditional type of pasta where the pasta is cut randomly but in such a way as to give irregular rectangles, perfect for soaking up mushrooms!), a portion of meat with mushrooms, and a glass of wine or water. There's also a child's menu for €8, which is disappointingly mushroom free, consisting of a schnitzel, chips and a coke (oh dear...). The fun starts at 11am with a craft market, while the food stalls open at 7pm. As with any sagra worth its salt, there's live music and line dancing. Why not head down there on Sunday 7th, when there's also a handicraft market and music from midday?

Maybe a little wild meat to go with those chestnuts and mushrooms....

Sagra del Cinghiale, Castelnuovo di Porto, Prov. di Roma14th October

Castelnuovo di Porto, a short trip up the SS3 from Rome (or train from Piazzale Flaminio), is hosting the opportunity to 'know and taste' cinghiale, or wild boar. For the meateaters, this simple sagra provides wild boar in a variety of formats. A primi piatti of pappardelle al sugo di cinghiale (ribbon pasta with wild boar sauce), a secondo of wild boar sausages and french fries (they get everywhere), and, for dessert... cinghiale ai cioccolato, which sounds, unusual...

Also known as the 'Compleanno di Sant'Oreste', this festival involves the whole town coming out to share in the festivities in celebration of the founder and patron saint of Sant'Oreste, Saint Edisto. To celebrate, there are stands with local products, street performers (usually with fire), secret botteghe with cheap food and great music (the first time I had a polenta-jazz fusion), and of course, a massive birthday cake.

Calcata, a charming bohemian place, hosts a notte delle streghe (night of the witches) on Halloween, where locals recant pagan rites, play folk music and perform dances. More information on Calcata can be found in this recent blog post.

Whatever you do this month, be sure to check out the Lazioexplorer twitter feed and facebook page for more updates about sagre and feste in Lazio.

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About Me

In 2004 I met an Italian and my life changed forever. Since then, I've been exploring my little bit of Italy, the area just north of Rome in regione Lazio, one weekend away at a time.
This blog details my journey along with hints and tips on how to survive off the tourist trail in 'real' Italy.